January 20, 2011

Getting the most USE out of REUSE!

We've been doing battle with the sickies all week, and so today, I am thankful for this guest post from Katie of Imperfect People. It deals with my favorite of the 3 R's: REUSE.

When it comes to organizing and storage, I would always purchase new containers to be just the right fit for the job. I never thought twice about it!

I then had a friend share some of her yummy soup leftover in an old spaghetti jar. It honestly never occurred to me that I could do that! I thought I had to use Tupperware for leftovers! That jar of soup sparked my dive into repurposing containers (not literally . . . that would be interesting).

There are a million ideas out there that go far beyond using empty 2-liter bottles in the living room to serve as a flower vase. In researching this post, I did my best to bring you ideas that are practical, easy, and attractive.

Here is a short guide to help you see the potential to your trash!

Glass Jars: While I already mentioned glass jars can serve to store leftovers (ideally soups and dips), there are a host of other things they can do. Glass jars come in many shapes and sizes. Take a second look at everyone that would potentially become trash. They may serve better as a change jar, a flower vase, or a container for homemade bath salts, pre-mixed cookie recipes, bath oils, and hand scrubs. (photo at left courtesy goodLife{eats})

Parmesan Cheese Containers: These are perfect containers for refilling with powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is often "sprinkled" yet it comes in a bag making it messy and awkward to sprinkle. Put it in an empty parmesan cheese container and problem solved! Same is true for baking soda (if you use it to clean), or any of your homemade spice mixtures.

Tissue boxes (the vertical kind): Makes a great trash cans for your car.

Egg Cartons: Take the lid off, poke small holes in the bottom and place in an empty bread or newspaper bag, and there you have an instant (free!) green house for seedlings!

Yogurt containers:The Stonyfield quart size containers are dishwasher-safe which make them another great food storing option. The smaller ones are great for making Jell-O and popsicles!

Contact lens solution bottles: I used these all the time in the homemade toiletries department. They work great for homemade shampoo, conditioner and especially great for your oil cleansing method. Just don’t forget to label them!Tin Cans: I love the ideas showing what can be done with these! These soup cans found new life as "clutter cups": (via HGTV)

And look at this beautiful wall garden made from tin cans from Happy Sleepy:

Trash Cans: They can be used to make a very simple rain barrel or a compost container! I have a trash can in my backyard for compost. I've tried several other methods of composting and this is the easiest, cheapest, and most functional option of them all.

Empty Coffee Cans:

Speaking of compost, you know those fancy containers that sit on your counter to collect your compost until you can bring it outside? My “fancy container” is an empty coffee container. It collects vegetable peels and everything else just as well as the expensive ones. The bonus? The little bit of coffee that was left helps to mask odors. Plus, it’s free!

Next time you need a container think outside the box. Did I mention boxes? You can break them down and lay them flat under your mulch; they suppress weeds better than landscaping fabric and as they break down, they feed the earthworms!

Comments

We've been doing battle with the sickies all week, and so today, I am thankful for this guest post from Katie of Imperfect People. It deals with my favorite of the 3 R's: REUSE.

When it comes to organizing and storage, I would always purchase new containers to be just the right fit for the job. I never thought twice about it!

I then had a friend share some of her yummy soup leftover in an old spaghetti jar. It honestly never occurred to me that I could do that! I thought I had to use Tupperware for leftovers! That jar of soup sparked my dive into repurposing containers (not literally . . . that would be interesting).

There are a million ideas out there that go far beyond using empty 2-liter bottles in the living room to serve as a flower vase. In researching this post, I did my best to bring you ideas that are practical, easy, and attractive.

Here is a short guide to help you see the potential to your trash!

Glass Jars: While I already mentioned glass jars can serve to store leftovers (ideally soups and dips), there are a host of other things they can do. Glass jars come in many shapes and sizes. Take a second look at everyone that would potentially become trash. They may serve better as a change jar, a flower vase, or a container for homemade bath salts, pre-mixed cookie recipes, bath oils, and hand scrubs. (photo at left courtesy goodLife{eats})

Parmesan Cheese Containers: These are perfect containers for refilling with powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is often "sprinkled" yet it comes in a bag making it messy and awkward to sprinkle. Put it in an empty parmesan cheese container and problem solved! Same is true for baking soda (if you use it to clean), or any of your homemade spice mixtures.

Tissue boxes (the vertical kind): Makes a great trash cans for your car.

Egg Cartons: Take the lid off, poke small holes in the bottom and place in an empty bread or newspaper bag, and there you have an instant (free!) green house for seedlings!

Yogurt containers:The Stonyfield quart size containers are dishwasher-safe which make them another great food storing option. The smaller ones are great for making Jell-O and popsicles!

Contact lens solution bottles: I used these all the time in the homemade toiletries department. They work great for homemade shampoo, conditioner and especially great for your oil cleansing method. Just don’t forget to label them!Tin Cans: I love the ideas showing what can be done with these! These soup cans found new life as "clutter cups": (via HGTV)

And look at this beautiful wall garden made from tin cans from Happy Sleepy:

Trash Cans: They can be used to make a very simple rain barrel or a compost container! I have a trash can in my backyard for compost. I've tried several other methods of composting and this is the easiest, cheapest, and most functional option of them all.

Empty Coffee Cans:

Speaking of compost, you know those fancy containers that sit on your counter to collect your compost until you can bring it outside? My “fancy container” is an empty coffee container. It collects vegetable peels and everything else just as well as the expensive ones. The bonus? The little bit of coffee that was left helps to mask odors. Plus, it’s free!

Next time you need a container think outside the box. Did I mention boxes? You can break them down and lay them flat under your mulch; they suppress weeds better than landscaping fabric and as they break down, they feed the earthworms!